Renowned Iraqi Scholar, Dr. Donny George Youkhanna, Appointed to Faculty at Stony Brook

STONY BROOK, N.Y. – Stony Brook University President Shirley Strum Kenny appointed Iraqi Dr. Donny George Youkhanna as visiting professor in the renowned Anthropology department, providing a refuge for him from the ravaging war in his home country.

Dr. George was the Director General of the National Museum in Baghdad, for which he is internationally known for recovering thousands of priceless relics. He was also the Chairman of the State Board of Antiquities and Heritage (SBAH), and the president of the Iraq State Board of Antiquities and Heritage. He has authored two books on the architecture and stone industries of Tell Es-Sawaan, and has given presentations on the current archeological and museum conditions in Iraq at conferences in numerous countries.

“We are privileged to bring Dr. George to Stony Brook,” said Dr. Kenny. “In the wake of the battle for Baghdad, he demonstrated remarkable courage to save the priceless treasures of one of the important ancient civilizations in history.”

Dr. George was instrumental in recovering almost half of the 15,000 Mesopotamian artworks and artifacts that date back to as much as 6,000 years, which were looted from the museum and Iraq's 12,500 archaeological sites during the American-led invasion of his country in 2003. Following death threats, the cessation of financial support and poor security, Dr. George, left Iraq and fled with his family to Syria.

While living in Iraq, Dr. George was in constant fear for his life. He was a potential target of violence not only due to being a relatively high-profile as a Christian government official, but also for his frequent appearances in the western media. “Having a position in Iraq is a dangerous thing,” he said. “I changed my car everyday, I changed my route. I changed the times I drove. It was a hard situation because I would never know if I’d make it to the museum or not.”

Dr. George has long had ties to the University, largely developed by long-time friend Dr. Elizabeth Stone, a distinguished professor of Anthropology at Stony Brook. Dr. George came to Stony Brook in October 2003 to present a lecture on the conditions and problems that existed at the Iraq Museum. Dr. George has expressed his gratitude for having found refuge at Stony Brook. “I would love to thank President Kenny and Dr. Stone because they gave me an opportunity,” he said. “They provided me and my family a safe haven.”

Starting next semester, Dr. George will teach an undergraduate course on the Archaeology of Mesopotamia and a graduate course on The Cultural Heritage of Iraq. He will also lecture on the occupation of Iraq and the negative and positive consequences at the Stony Brook Manhattan campus through the political science department, in addition to conducting research. His new appointment at Stony Brook is co-sponsored by the Scholar Rescue Fund through the Institute of International Education's program, whose mission is to rescue persecuted scholars such as Dr. George to continue their academic careers in safe locations.